The present invention relates generally to doll houses, and more particularly, to connector systems used to construct modular doll houses having interconnectable walls, floors and roofs.
It is common in the marketplace to find pre-assembled, permanently constructed doll houses. However, such doll houses are difficult to ship and store. Additionally, pre-assembled doll houses are often expensive and, thus, not affordable because of the manufacturer""s high labor costs, which drive up the overall cost of the doll houses.
To avoid some of the problems associated with the pre-assembled, permanently constructed doll houses, manufacturers have created modular doll houses having interconnectable walls, floors and roofs that require self-assembly. Because modular doll houses can be constructed and/or taken apart, the interconnectable doll house parts have eliminated several problems associated with shipping, storage and cost. Despite such improvements, these known modular doll houses still have disadvantages. For example, most modular doll houses are made of specially designed walls, floors, roofs and other structural accessories such as fireplaces, stairs and railings which, when constructed, form a specific doll house configuration having a single, predetermined floor plan. This prefabricated configuration stifles a child""s imagination and creativity. Additionally, modular doll houses are often difficult to assemble and usually require special building materials and tools. Furthermore, the walls of these modular doll houses are usually pre-cut to a certain size, which is often proportional to the size of a traditional doll house figure standing approximately 3-4 inches in height. Thus, children having these specially configured modular doll houses cannot use them with larger dolls such as Barbie(copyright) dolls, because these modular doll houses are too small.
Other modular doll houses require special connectors including pegs or pins to hold the panels together. For example, panels are held together by inserting pegs into holes in the panels. Because these special connectors include many small parts, they are difficult for young children to assemble. Moreover, the connectors used in typical modular doll houses lack strength and durability and, therefore, these modular doll houses lack the stability needed to withstand every day wear and tear.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,181 to Hunts discloses a method of creating a doll house using rigid sheet-like panels and panel connectors which operate to join the panels together. In operation, the connectors accept specifically configured edges of the sheet-like panels to form a locking, yet releasable snap-fit connection. The components of this system enable panels to be joined together in different arrangements to form building structures, like doll houses, with a variety of rooms, levels and floor plans.
A shortcoming of the connector system disclosed in the Hunts patent is that the panels must be cut to a predetermined dimension to create the specially configured panel edges. Such pre-cut panels hamper the creativity of the child and limit the various arrangements of panels for the doll house. Furthermore, specially configured connectors complicate manufacturing, as well as assembly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,906,659 to Walmer, 4,306,371 to Walmer et al. and 4,219,960 to Walmer et al. (hereinafter xe2x80x9cthe Walmer patentsxe2x80x9d) disclose collapsible doll houses that are constructed of a small number of individual panels making up the walls, floors and roofs of the doll houses. The panels are provided with grooves and slots so that all the panels slide together and support one another. Likewise, a number of different connector elements may be used to interconnect the edges of the walls, floors and roofs of these doll houses.
Although the Walmer patents provide an improved method for self assembly of doll houses, they disadvantageously restrict the doll houses to a pre-arranged, specified number of rooms that are limited in size. Also, the doll houses disclosed in these patents stifle the creativity of a child and preclude the child from playing with dolls of different sizes, especially dolls which are larger than traditional dolls.
The modular doll house according to the present invention has interconnectable structural members such as walls, floors and roofs that are held together by a variety of connectors. The connectors include tabs which slidably engage grooves cut into the structural members and, thus, join the structural members together. The walls, floors and roofs are interconnectable, in any number of configurations and thus, the modular doll house can be assembled in many different ways to stimulate a child""s creativity. Additionally, the interconnectable structural members may be purchased pre-cut or may be purchased in large sheet-like panels which may be cut to a size desirable by the user. Hence, the modular doll house may be used with traditional doll house figures or non-traditional figures such as Barbie(copyright) dolls. The modular doll house can also be easily manipulated by children to thereby ease the assembly and the disassembly of the modular doll house.
In one embodiment, the modular doll house includes a first structural member having a first surface and a first groove disposed in the first surface, a second structural member having a second surface and a second groove disposed in the second surface. Additionally, the doll house has a rigid connector including a first tab adapted to slidably engage the first groove and a second tab adapted to slidably engage the second groove to connect the first structural member to the second structural member.
In some embodiments the connector has a planar strip having first and second flat sides. A first tab may extend from the first side of the planar strip and a second tab may also extend from the first side of the planar strip and may be disposed either substantially perpendicular to or substantially parallel to the first tab. In yet another embodiment, the connector includes an L-shaped strip having first and second arms. A first tab may extend substantially perpendicularly from the first arm and may be disposed substantially parallel to the second arm of the L-shaped strip. A second tab may extend substantially perpendicularly from the second arm and may be disposed substantially perpendicularly or parallel to the first arm.
In some embodiments, the connector includes an L-shaped strip having first and second arms, a joint at the connection of the first and second arms, a planar strip and a third tab. Here, a first tab extends substantially perpendicularly from the first arm and is disposed substantially parallel to the second arm of the L-shaped strip. A second tab may extend substantially perpendicularly from the second arm and is disposed either substantially perpendicularly or parallel to the first arm. The planar strip extends substantially perpendicularly from the second arm and is fixedly attached to the second arm between the second tab and the joint for supporting a third structural member. The third tab may extend substantially perpendicularly from the planar strip and may be disposed either substantially parallel to or perpendicular to the second arm. In still another embodiment, the connector has a planar strip with two ends.
Additionally, a trough-shaped guide may be coupled to a groove in a surface of a structural member of the modular doll house, wherein the trough-shaped guide receives and slidably engages the tabs of the connector.
The modular doll house may be purchased as a kit including the structural members having surfaces adapted to receive grooves and the connectors which may have tabs to be placed in the grooves of walls, floors, ceilings, etc. to join the structural members.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following drawings and detailed description.